“We were deeply shocked by the barbaric terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel on 7 October. We will not abandon the people of Israel – and we also want to help those who are temporarily living with friends and family in Germany in the face of Hamas’s terror,” Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser said.

Israeli nationals can stay in Germany for up to 90 days without a visa. From January 26 to 26 April 2024, they will now be exempt from the requirement for a residence permit to stay.

The ordinance was promulgated in the Federal Law Gazette on January 22, 2024 and will enter into force on January 26 2024. It will apply retroactively from October 7, 2023.

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Fraser said that the government is enabling Israeli citizens to stay in Germany for a further three months without having to apply for a residence permit.

“This is pragmatic and unbureaucratic assistance for people we want to help in this difficult situation,” she said.

Recently, the German state of Saxony-Anhalt said that it would require citizenship applicants to confirm that they “recognise Israel’s right to exist”.